By the time my last class of the day ends, I haven’t gotten any type of message from Carley, and it’s starting to dig beneath my skin. I pack my book bag forcefully, then swing it over my shoulder to stomp out of the classroom. Before I walk out the door, however, I’m stopped by our teacher.
“Ms. Ellis? Mrs. Wilmer would like to see you in her office.”
I frown. “What for?”
The teacher shrugs. “I wasn’t told. You should just hurry over there and see for yourself.”
Releasing a sigh, I nod and leave the classroom. I make my way across campus to the administration building, and then up to the guidance counselor’s office. The door is closed when I get there, so I stop and knock.
A few moments later, Mrs. Wilmer answers the door with a smile.
“Hello, Mallory,” she says cheerfully. “I’m glad you were able to get here so promptly. Please, come inside.”
“What’s this about, Mrs. Wilmer?” I ask as I step into the office.
I quickly realize that there’s someone else in the room, and as soon as my brain processes who I’m seeing, I freeze in my tracks.
Mr. Angelle is sitting in a chair in front of Mrs. Wilmer’s desk. He smirks at me behind the counselor’s back.
“Mallory, I have some wonderful news,” Mrs. Wilmer says, putting her hand on the back of my shoulder and ushering me forward. “Mr. Angelle would like to talk to you about a college scholarship opportunity. He’s very impressed with your academic standing and thinks you would be an ideal applicant.”
“Is that so?” We reach the chair across from him and she presses me down into it. Now Mr. Angelle is smiling politely, and there’s no sign of the animosity I know is simmering below the surface.
“Thank you, Mrs. Wilmer,” he says. “Would you mind giving us a moment alone?”
“Of course,” the counselor nods and moves toward the door. “Take your time.”
Angelle’s smile remains in place until the door shuts behind the woman and then it melts into a smirk.
“Not much of a counselor, is she? Leaving a female student all alone with an adult male that’s not employed by the school.” He shakes his head and tsks. “I worry for the safety of our youth, I really do.”
“What do you want?” I demand wearily. “Why are you here?”
He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees. “I wanted to see if Nora had taken me up on my more than generous offer?”
Instead of throwing her rejection in his face, my mind scrambles and comes up with an alternative plan.
“Why don’t you call her and ask her yourself?” I bend down and reach into my backpack’s front pocket, digging out the paper I scribbled Nora’s number on. Straightening back up, I ball it up and toss it at his face, but it falls to the desk. “Here. This will get you in touch with her.”
He snatches the paper from the desk and studies it for several seconds. Folding it up, he tucks it into his suit pocket and pushes to his feet.
“Good girl,” he says. “That’s all I need. We’re done here.” Still, he pauses before he leaves the room, glancing back at me and leering. “You’re a lot like your mother. Smart enough to know to keep authorities out of private situations. That’s a good skill to have. It’ll keep you alive a lot longer in this world.”
I grant him a smile that shoots pain through my cheeks. “I hope you rot in hell.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I like you, Mallory. It’s a shame we’ve been pitted against each other.”
SAINT ANGELLE: I know my dad came to see you. What did he want?
SAINT ANGELLE: Why aren’t you responding, Mallory?
SAINT ANGELLE: Goddamn it! Fucking text me back!
I glance at his latest message and ignore it, just like I did all the ones before it. He’s been texting me all day, and I’m just not in the mood to deal with any of it. I don’t want to talk about his father. Not today.
Today, I just want to pretend to be a normal teenage girl who’s getting ready for her prom, without a care in the world.
So far, it’s been a pretty amazing day. Loni surprised me with an early spa appointment that included massages and facials, and then manicures and pedicures. When I tried to tell her that I couldn’t accept so much, she replied that everything was already paid for and I could either join her for the day or let all that money go to waste. Attacked by guilt from all my options, I decided on the one where I at least had a good time.
We finished our outing by getting our hair done, and now we’re heading back to campus to put on our dresses and wait for our dates to pick us up. It’s really been a dream, so far, with only one dark cloud hovering over the day.
Carley still hasn’t reached out to me.
It sucks, because I really would love to have shared some of my experiences today with her. Even just to have a phone call would have been awesome. I wish she would just text me, or something—anything—just to let me know she doesn’t hate me.
When Loni and I reach campus again, we enter our building and head up to our floor, chatting excitedly. When the elevator dings and we step out, however, I freeze.
Carley is at the end of the hall, standing next to my door and fidgeting with the frilly straps on her pink sundress.
A small gasp escapes my lips.
“I’ll see you at Saint’s,” Loni whispers, offering me an encouraging smile and a pat on the back of my shoulder.
“See you there.” But my eyes are locked on Carley as Loni peels away to go to her room, and I slowly make my way down to mine.
“Hey,” she says softly as I near. “I thought I’d come and help you get ready.”
I’m thrilled, but I try not to make it obvious. Her shoulders are stiff and I can sense she’s still angry, but at least she’s here.
“Thanks,” I murmur. “You … you didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to, though.”
Sadness flashes across her eyes and she shakes her head. “I couldn’t possibly still be in California and miss out on something my baby girl is so excited about. Whether I’m angry or not, that won’t stop me from being there for you. I love you, Mallory. You know that.”
I fight the tears that appear in my eyes. I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to ruin my makeup. So, I just nod and give her a shaky grin.
“Okay. I’m happy you’re here.”
“Me too,” she says.
I unlock my room and we both walk inside. My dress is hanging on my closet door, ready for me to put on. Carley moves closer to it and gazes at it with what appears to be a little bit of awe.
“It’s beautiful.” She glances back at me. “Did he buy it for you?”
Reluctantly, I nod. “Yeah. He didn’t want me to feel like I didn’t belong.”
We don’t address the truth. That I belong here, just as much as any of these people.
“I see.” She gives the dress one last once over, then turns to face me fully. “Well, we shouldn’t waste time, should we? Let’s get you ready.”